Maud Khumalo turns one eye to COSAFA semis after early qualification

Banyana's 3-0 demolition of Eswatini on Friday saw them secure a semi-final spot with one match remaining in the group stages. 

Next up are tournament debutants Seychelles, who are yet to score in Gqeberha, and Khumalo already has one eye on the last four, where they will face the winners of Group D, which consists of Mozambique, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe.

"I'm worried because, remember, the game that was very intense was against Namibia, and in the other groups there's Mozambique, the defending champions Malawi, so I know it's going to be very tough if we meet such opponent," said Khumalo.

"But for us it's to build confidence from such games [as Eswatini and Seychelles] because at the end of the day, each game is different and remember, the opponent we face is going to tell you which players to use in that game.

"Also it's more about us using the right combinations when we play those players in that game, so we have to just find the right personnel for the right game."

Khumalo was quick to add that playing newcomers Seychelles will present its own challenges as the islanders lack structure and will require her chargers to think out of the box.

"We've watched them and saw their first game, they are a young squad and they are only playing in their own half, so that's why Namibia managed to beat them with so many goals," she noted.

"They were inviting them [Namibia] because they were sitting too deep, and tactically they are not that sound, but you could see what they are trying to do, they're trying to build the team.

"So for them it's a building phase, and playing such teams can be frustrating because, when you are used to playing against an organised team, you become more tactically aware of things.

"But when you're playing against a team like Seychelles, you need to be wary of certain things because the players need to now think out of the box in order to [break them down], but we have a game plan for them and we'll use the right personnel for that game."

READ: Isabella Ludwig: Consistency is crucial in COSAFA Cup